For the Love of Reading

For more than a decade, primary care physicians at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have been giving patients a new, culturally and age-appropriate book at every well visit from 6 months of age to 5 years, along with instruction for parents on how best to engage children with books.

As part of the Reach Out and Read program, they use the unique doctor-parent-patient relationship to foster a love of books and reading in children, especially those facing poverty.

“I can see on their faces how much the children love these books. They get so excited and say thank you so many times,” said Eileen Everly, M.D., a Primary Care Center pediatrician. “Watching them smile, laugh and jump up and down when they get their books - that's the best part of my day.”

Proven Effective

Since the program's inception started in Boston in 1989, Reach Out and Read has been shown effective in nearly a dozen studies. Children in the program score higher on standardized vocabulary tests, in both understanding and word use, and their parents are up to four times more likely to read to them.

Reach Out and Read also benefits the healthcare community.  By observing how a child interacts with books, a clinician can better asses their development. Giving a child a book can also help a clinician establish a rapport with both parents and children.

“My daughter Zahara was born premature, and my wife and I have found great pleasure in reading to her, knowing we are giving her a head start towards early development,” said Andre Porter, father of a Reach Out and Read participant at Children’s Hospital. “Education starts at home, and reading is the perfect learning tool.”

This fiscal year, more than 23,000 new books will be given to children receiving care at six sites in the Children’s Hospital network currently offering Reach Out and Read: all four Primary Care Centers, its Family Care Center and the Kids First practice in Burlington, NJ. Thousands more gently used books will be given to siblings and children who have outgrown Reach Out and Read. The program has even led some parents to ask about improving their own literacy.

Philanthropy’s Role

A portion of the annual budget for Reach Out and Read at Children’s Hospital comes from the Reach Out and Read National Center, but most of the program's needs must be met by private donations. This year, more than $95,000 will have to be raised from generous individuals interested in supporting literacy and preparing children for school and a lifetime of reading (another $80,000 of staff time is provided in-kind by Children’s Hospital).

David and Marjorie Rosenberg have seen the promise of Reach Out and Read and understand the considerable financial commitment needed to keep it going. They and their children have gotten to know the program directly, speaking with doctors, patients, parents, and staff. Forging a vision of the program’s future, the Rosenbergs have committed $300,000 over the next five years, to help defray the annual costs and to begin an endowment that will be the program’s first permanent source of revenue.

Get Involved

You can join the Rosenbergs and help to cover the yearly costs of Reach Out and Read and build the endowment for the future.

You may also be able to volunteer by reading to children in waiting rooms, providing them with entertainment and their parents with a model of effective use of books. Contact the Volunteer Department at 215-590-1093 for more information.